Improvement in self-opening cans



J. M. JEWELL. SELF-OPENING CANS.

No.18Z,934.-. Patented 0ct.3, 1876.

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N. PETERS, PHDTO-LITHOGRAFHER, WASHINGTON D C.

UNITED STATES PATENT QFFIGE.

TEYoN- J. M. JEWELL, OF N W YORK, N. Y., ASSIGNOR or ONE-HALF HIS RIGHT To NATHAN SEELEY AND GEO. I. sTEvENs, or sAME PLACE.

IMPROVEMENT IN SELF-OPENING CANS.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. I82,934, dated October 3, 1876; application filed March 15, 1876.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, TRYoN J. M. J EWELL, of the city, county, and State of New York, have invented certain Improvements in Self- Opening Cans, of which the following is a specification This invention relates to that class of sheetmetal cans which are opened by means of a wire, arranged in such relation with the flange of the cover that by pulling upon the free end of the wire the latter is caused to cut or rip through the flange, thereby separating the cover from the body of the can.

The object of this my invention is to provide for the insertion of the Wire in place, in the manufacture of the can, with the exercise of less labor and care; in other words, with greater facility and convenience than has hitherto been practicable.

My said invention consists in a novel method of inserting the wire, by passing the inner end thereof through coincident holes formed in the flange of the cover, and near the upper edge of the body of the can or box, then bending the said inner end of the wire into a hook form, to insure its hold upon the body of the box or can aforesaid, and afterward turning the cover nearly, or quite, an entire revolution upon the top of the box, thereby bringing the wire within the flange, and into proper relation with the flange in the body of the box.

The invention further comprises a novel combination of the wire formed with a hook on its inner end, the ribbed flange of the cover formed with a suitable hole or orifice for the insertion of the wire through the said flange, and the body of the box or can formed with a suitable hole or orifice for the reception of the inner end of the wire, the said combination of parts constituting the mechanical means whereby the first-named feature of my said invention is carried into practice.

Figure l is a plan view and partial horizon tal section of a sheet-metal can or box made according to my invention. Fig. 2 is a side view of the same, and Fig. 3 is a horizontal section taken in line X of Fig. 2.

A is the body of the can, having formed in it, at a suitable distance from its upper edge, a hole or orifice, a. B is the cover, of which b is the flange. On this flange b, near its upper edge, is a circumferential rib, a, the formation of this rib, of course, providing a circumferential groove in the inner side of the flange, the purpose of which groove is to receive and hold the ripping or severing wire, as hereinbefore explained. In the rib a is formed a hole or orifice, a". The rib A is at such distance from the top of the flange that when the cover is shut down into its place the aforesaid rib is brought into the same plane as the hole or orifice a in the flange b, and may be turned coincident with the hole or orifice a of the body A. This done, one end of the wire 0 is thrust through these two holes or orifices a a, as indicated in dotted outline in Fig. 1. This end of the wire 0 is then turned into the hook form shown in the full lines of said Fig. 1 at f.

It is, of course, to be understood that the can has the usual circular opening G in its bottom or top, through which it is subsequently filled, and which is finally closed by a piece soldered on, in a manner well understood by the trade, consequently requiring no further description here. It is through this opening G that the pliers may be passed in order to form the hook f on the inner end of the wire 0, as hereinbefore just explained. The wire 0 having its inner end thus hooked to the upper part of the body A, the cover B is turned around with an axial movement, as indicated by the arrow in Fig. 1. As the wire is thus turned or rotated, the wire is drawn through the opening a in the flange, and passes into the groove provided in-the inner side of the rib a until the cover has been turned quite around. The wire, with its inner end fast to the body A, is thus brought entirely within the groove just specified, and between the upper part of the body A and the flange b of the cover B, one end with the free or outer end of the wire projecting, as shown at G in Figs. 2 and 3. A drop of solder may then be placed upon the hole or orifice a, to close the same, and the lower edge of the flange b is soldered in the usual manner to the body A of the box or can.

The application of the invention to the box or can is now complete, and said box or can may be filled and used in the ordinary manner.

In order to open the can it is only necessary to pull or draw firmly upon the free or outer end G of the wire 0 in a radial direction, to cause the same to rip or cut through the flange, to sever the cover B from the body A.

What I claim as my invention is 1. The method of inserting and securing the ripping-wire in place in a sheet-metal can or box of the class described, by passing the inner end of said wire through coincident holes or orifices provided in the flange of the cover and near the upper edge of the body of the can or box, bending the said inner end of the wire into a hook to insure its hold upon the said body, and then turning or rotating the cover to bring the wire between the flange of the latter and the upper part of the body, can, or box, substantially as set forth.

2. In a can of the class described, the ripping-wire (J, formed with a hook, f, on its inner end, in combination with the cover-flange b, constructed with the rib a and hole or orifice a, and the body A, provided with a hole or orifice, a, near its upper edge, the whole constructed and arranged substantially as and for the purposes herein set forth.

TRYoN J. M. JEWELL.

Witnesses JAMES A. WHITNEY, H. WELLS, Jr. 

